Also From California Report

Spring officially arrived this week, and with it a reminder that the rainy season -- such as it was -- is quickly coming to an end. The lack of rain was the focus of a very heated Congressional hearing in Fresno this week, and of policy changes from California's superintendent of schools. Host Scott Shafer talks about the drought and its expanding impact with KQED Science Editor Craig Miller.

Silicon Valley draws thousands of young programmers hoping to strike it rich in the tech industry. But it's a relatively exclusive club, favoring top-notch graduates from prestigious universities. A new program in the Salinas Valley is challenging that formula by helping the children of farmworker families become programmers and engineers -- in just three years. A lot is on the line for these students, and their families.Reporter: Ana Tintocalis

Whale watching out on the ocean is a fun way to spend a few hours, especially in the middle of migrating season for the Pacific gray whale. But imagine doing it not just one morning or afternoon, but for weeks on end. That's exactly what a group of volunteer researchers in L.A. County does, spending their free time counting the heads and tails of migrating whales for the annual census.Reporter: Valerie Hamilton

Music Bridge 2: "Lumiere de la Mer" by the Bob Brozman Orchestra, from "Lumiere" (Riverboat Records/World Music Network)

As the Bay Area tech boom pushes rents higher and higher, big industrial spaces are quickly becoming unaffordable for artists. That's what makes American Steel Studios in West Oakland so unusual. It's become a magnet for all types of artists: sculptors, wood workers and especially metal workers.Reporter: Erik Neumann

A pair of California-made hot sauces is the main course of an exhibit that opened last week in Los Angeles. "L.A. Heat" explores the culinary and pop culture impact of Sriracha and Tapatio -- two hot sauces with very different origins, both of which somehow managed to become unifying ingredients in L.A. culture and cuisine.Reporter: Steven Cuevas